DEAR BRO. WHITE:—We wish to offer a few thoughts on the two-horned beast. We once thought it had reference to protestant England, in its church and state; but on a more mature investigation of the subject, we see that that cannot be; because England is, no doubt, one of the horns of the ten-horned beast, that rose "up out of the sea," or "waters," which were "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues:" the old Roman empire including England.
Therefore this image beast which came "up out of the earth," where there were no multitudes of people, does most aptly fit the United States of America, as the earth, in contrast with the Roman kingdom, properly called the sea. We do not now think it is consistent to take a part of the beast to make an image to itself out of itself.
If the first beast was an independent government, consisting of the Roman church and state, so must the second, or two-horned beast, be an independent government of church and state; or, the state protecting the churches by law. But there are other distinct features about this beast, which make it quite certain that it was designed to symbolize America; such as,
1. Its two lamb-like horns not being crowned. As horns are symbols of governments or powers, so these two lamb-like horns, not crowned, would show them to be republican and not kingly.
2. "He spake as a dragon." The dragon-spirit is a persecuting, warlike spirit. Rev. xii, 10, 13, 17.—Therefore "free and bond," [Rev. xiii, 16,] or "slaves and souls of men," [Rev. xviii, 13,] are under the power of this two-horned beast; and where can there be found a more striking resemblance than in American bond slavery, fostered by Babylon and the States.
3. "He maketh fire, (electricity or lightning,) come down from heaven, (the clouds,) on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles," &c. Dr. Franklin, with his kite and key, first brought fire from heaven; and that, in America. Many wonders have been wrought by means of electricity, for the few past years, sanctioned by law as a science; from which has sprung the magnetic telegraph, which conveys thought hundreds of miles in a second. This, fifty years ago would have been thought impossible.
4. The two-horned beast, the leaders of protestantism and republicanism, will say to them that dwell on the earth, (the voters,) that they should make an image to the Papal beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live. Verse 14. And he, (the two-horned beast,) had power, (after those that dwelt on the earth had voted him that power,) to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, (or keep his institutions,) should be killed.
Can we believe that a free government, like this, will ever pass a decree to kill them that will not worship, or keep, an institution of Protestantism, or rather of Papacy, the beast? We unhesitatingly answer, that we believe that a government which will keep in abject slavery three millions of human beings, will not hesitate in the time of trouble, with its dragon voice, to make a decree to put to death all that will not worship, or obey, Sunday laws, instead of the Sabbath, and those shall neither buy nor sell who will not receive his mark.
We will suggest the idea here, inasmuch as the decree goes forth under the two-horned beast, which is most clearly shown to be this government; and as this government has no jurisdiction over other countries, and as this beast is to speak as a dragon, or make war with the remnant, or last end of the church, [Rev. xii, 17,] who are now being gathered under the third angel's message, [Rev. xiv, 9, 12,] that this 144000, the true Israel, which are to be redeemed from the earth, from among men, [Rev. xiv, 3, 4,] are to be redeemed from America, mostly, the government that has come up out of the earth.
The Papal beast has made war upon the saints 1260 years; and then was the patience and faith of the saints, without the commandments. Rev. xiii, 7, 10. The old world have had their day of persecuting the saints; and now, here in America, is to be the patience of the saints, to endure the persecution of those who make war upon them that keep the commandments of God.
J. B. FRISBIE.
Battle Creek, Mich., Oct 22nd, 1853.